Angus Beattie is the General Manager of StructureCraft Builders Inc, the Delta-based design-build firm responsible for constructing the roof. Beattie attributes the idea of using beetle-kill wood in an arched wave form to Gerry Epp, principal of StructureCraft and of Fast + Epp Structural Engineers, the company behind the engineering design of the roof. He says that it was initially something of a "kitchen table idea" back in 2005, when the province and the timber industry were coming to grips with the pine beetle epidemic. By using ordinary softwood 2x4s fastened together into a unique 'V' wave shape able to span over 13m, Epp saw an opportunity to promote BC dimensional lumber, demonstrating its structural qualities in a visually very striking product. After working on a handmade prototype to see if it was even possible, a final design was submitted to and accepted by Oval architects Cannon Johnston Architecture Inc and the City of Richmond in early 2006.

Each WoodWave panel is 3.6m wide x 13.1m long. Together, the wood panels span across 15 enormous 100m long splayed glulam arches, spaced 14m centre to centre. StructureCraft and Fast+Epp had already won awards for their work, including the North Facade at Central City, Surrey and the Pacific Canada Roof at the Vancouver Aquarium, however bringing the WoodWave concept to life required technology and the means of production that simply weren’t in existence. In addition, an Olympic project comes with rigid requirements, extremely high standards and the necessary compliance with building, fire and safety regulations, so the challenges were many. But give engineers a problem and they’ll find a way to solve it. The StructureCraft team set about creating complex computer models in order to test the load-bearing properties of the design. After refinements were made to the computer model, real-life prototypes were then built. Beattie says that at least 12 load tests were performed to evaluate the numerous modifications before the optimum construction was achieved.

Acoustics were another major concern, with a stringent noise reduction requirement specified by the owner. The team worked on the interior space between the wood layers in order to create the best chamber for sound to enter and be absorbed. Prototypes were then sent to the lab for sound testing. In order to comply with fire and safety regulations, custom computer models to simulate fires were devised. Beattie says, “Put it this way, the National Building Code had never seen anything like this!”

With the extensive design and development that’s gone into the structure, the company now has the technical capacity and custom machinery able to mass produce the design for international markets. After this, one might think there’s no going back to the somewhat smaller ventures the company has excelled at and for which it has gained a reputation amongst architects for its ability to build their visions. To that, Beattie says, “Not at all. Whether it’s a two-hundred thousand dollar project or a million, like our name says, we’re interested in the craft.”